Rise Over Rush
by LoveLoveLovix
Summary: When someone you love moves on, all that's left is hurt, comfort, and life.


**Rise Over Rush  
>A Layla and Musa One-Shot <strong>

**Author's Note: Based on real life experiences... aka, "Yay, now EVERYONE can know how miserable I am!" **

* * *

><p>It was never official, and that should have taken an edge off of Layla's pain. Somehow, though, it only seemed to make it much, much worse. If the relationship had never been given limits, walls, definitions it sort of left it open as to when it ended… maybe that was why. Riven felt like a stab through the heart, from a knife that the water fairy had seen coming, every inch of the way.<p>

She took a deep breath. _You knew this was coming, princess, _she told herself. _Now saddle up and deal with it._

What did you do, though?

Musa and Layla had been together for about half a year before silently acknowledging the fact that they couldn't go on like they had been. It was time for someone to make a move, to show that they could be a couple. They needed to go on an actual date once in a while, not just stay in Layla's room when Frances was out, roughhousing with matching mischievous smiles as sexy bites ended in soft kisses.

Layla didn't want to make a move... no, that wasn't right. She wanted to make a move with all of her heart. She wanted to be with Musa with all of her heart. Until the music fairy had come into her life, Layla hadn't known how the entire dimension could rotate in somebody's eyes, or how the music that one person could weave could create a soul out of thin air, a soul that could force its way into your very body and take over like some sort of strangely pleasant parasite. There was nothing holding Layla back except her own fear of being rejected by the girl who was a thousand times more than just her best friend.

She didn't know what was holding Muse back. Maybe the same thing.

She tried to tell herself it didn't matter, not one bit.

She knew that may be true in theory, but not in practice.

Musa had come bursting into the dorm yesterday night, her pale skin rosy and a smile playing on her face. "Lay!" she had near shouted, rushing into the arms of her sort-of-kind-of-ex-girlfriend.

Layla hugged Musa close to her, inhaling the scent of jasmine and cherry blossoms (it was actually Stella's perfume, applied by the blonde herself, believe it or not. Musa herself was a warm vanilla sugar girl). "Hey, girly! What's up that makes you smile like that?"

"Riven," Musa said, out of breath and gorgeous as ever. "He finally asked me out. We've been really rekindling the friendship we used to have... and it just got back into a relationship... it's so cool. I've always liked him..."

Layla refused to comment on how often Riven broke her Musa's heart... or how used she felt that Musa had obviously liked Riven while she was with Layla. "That's great!" she said instead, full of false enthusiasm for her ex-girlfriend-current-best-friend-forever and her rival for the former's attention.

"I'm so excited!" Musa said.

"I bet you are," Layla said.

Another flash of pain, followed by the tingles of attraction more intense than any sort of magic. That was Musa... she was pain and she was love and she was the sweetest sort of candy that could ever be imagined. She was music. And Layla... Layla knew more about her than any of her other friends, and probably knew more about her than Riven did either. Layla knew exactly what could get her ex riled up or simmering down. Layla knew that a guy... specifically this guy... wanting to get back together with Musa was the epitome of excitement, equivalent to a new power or the Day of the Gift all over again.

She hugged Musa tight, remembering days gone by, days of hand-holding and wrestling so ludly that the entire school likely thought they were doing other things... not that they knew who "they" were. She remembered sweet looks that said, "I love you," and "I want you."

It hurt again, but all those memories were probably worth it.

She broke the hug off. "Guess I need to find a guy or girl now."

And here was the surprise. Musa frowned. "No. I can't imagine a single person who is good enough to have my girl."

"Since when am I yours?" It was half a tease and half a question. Since everything ended, the two didn't generally talk about their relationship.

Musa spread her arms out, raised her shoulders in a half shrug. "I don't know... since forever?"

"You haven't even known me that long!"

"Whatever. You're mine. I claimed you. Nobody is going to take you."

Despite the fact that Musa was Riven's now, and that it sickened her that her ex was still trying to control her (yes, even though she loved Musa, she hated being dependant and Musa had control issues. Who knew how they worked?), Layla felt shivers that almost rocked her body over as she tried not to let it show, to keep her face so controlled. "Sure, sure," she said. And she got back a little of the hope that maybe, they would be together again.

Probably not. It was likely just the remnants of a six month stand. And that hurt.

_But hey_, Layla thought. _Better to have loved and lost, right?_


End file.
